The CW Network will become the exclusive home to the NASCAR Xfinity Series beginning in 2025 and extending through the 2031 season. The CW will broadcast 33 live NASCAR Xfinity Series races annually and practice and qualifying events each weekend. 

Starting in 2025, for the first time in series history, every NASCAR Xfinity Series race will be available on free, over-the-air broadcast television with additional content available through The CW's digital platforms. All NASCAR Xfinity Series races and ancillary content will be fully produced by the Emmy Award-winning NASCAR Productions group in collaboration with The CW Network.
           
NASCAR Xfinity Series races draw an average of approximately 1 million viewers per race each season, historically airing on a combination of cable and broadcast television, but will now be entirely and exclusively distributed on broadcast television. The NASCAR Xfinity Series agreement with The CW underscores recent trends in which major sports properties have prioritized broadcast television to ensure the widest reach for their fan base and industry.

"CW's leadership shared a compelling vision for cultivating the next generation of NASCAR talent by bringing the NASCAR Xfinity Series exclusively to broadcast television, and we are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with them. With more than one million viewers tuning in each week to see NASCAR's future stars battle some of its biggest names at our most legendary tracks, NASCAR Xfinity Series consistently delivers the moments that excite current fans and create new fans of our great sport," said Brian Herbst, senior vice president of media and productions for NASCAR.

For more information, visit nascar.com.

Ultimate Motorsports Park--the 3/8-mile dirt oval in Elkin, North Carolina, formerly known as Friendship Motor Speedway--will host its grand re-opening event on Saturday, August 26, headlined by a $7,500-to-win/$500-to-start Ultimate Super Late Model Series program.

The track is now owned by Bobby and Jessica Koehler, owners of the Koehler Motorsports team fielding Dirt Late Model entries for their sons Jordan Koehler and Evan Koehler, along with racing veteran Jimmy Owens.

"The opportunity to purchase Friendship Motor Speedway was presented to me, and I'm passionate about keeping racing going in our area, so it seemed like a natural fit," Bobby said. "We've got a lot of big plans for the facility. I have a vision of making this place look like a 'smaller Dirt Track at Charlotte,' and our crews are starting to work immediately. It's obviously going to take time to get everything the way we want it, but I couldn't be more excited about the future [of] the facility."

The facility will operate under the direction of Wayne Quesinberry, who has been involved in various facets of the racing industry since he was 16 years old and has multiple feature wins in Late Models.

Planned improvements include the removal of the asphalt under the existing surface and the placement of a new surface; the construction of a complete on-site campground; and the relocation of the infield pits to the outside of the track.

Joining the Ultimate Super Late Model Series on August 26 will be the Mid-East Touring Series 602 Crate Late Models ($1,200-to-win) and the 602 Modifieds ($700-to-win), which will run under the Mid-East Blue Ridge Modified rules. A $500 bonus from Capital Waste will also be up for grabs in the Ultimate Super Late Model Series feature for the highest finishing Steel Head, CT525 or 604 Crate Late Model.

Additional details will be announced in the coming weeks. A new website for the race track was still in the works at press time.

Lucas Oil Products--the Indianapolis, Indiana-based distributor of high-performance automotive additives and lubricants--has announced the transition of Forrest Lucas from CEO to chairman of Lucas Oil.

In his new role, Lucas will step away from the day-to-day activities and move into an advisory role to help guide the company's strategic direction. The transition also gives Lucas and his wife, Charlotte Lucas, more time to focus on the Lucas Cattle Company, the Lucas Ranch and other personal initiatives.

"Lucas Oil has a rich history and a very bright future. As I transition into my role as chairman, I am excited at the opportunity to spend more time on different projects as we continue the family legacy of the company with [Lucas Oil President] Morgan [Lucas] and [Chief Administrative Officer] Katie [Lucas]," said Forrest.

"Over the past 34 years, my father has become an icon in the oil and additive industry, and I fully support his decision to transition to the role of chairman. This gives him more flexibility to focus on the ranch and other things he is passionate about, and Katie and I could not be happier for him and my mom," said Morgan.

For more information, visit the Lucas Oil announcement or lucasoil.com.

MiddleGround Capital, the operationally focused private equity firm, has announced its European office has completed the acquisition of Xtrac, the manufacturer and supplier of transmissions for top-level professional motorsport and specialist high-performance automotive applications.

"Since our establishment, our unwavering commitment to R&D, manufacturing technology and developing the skills of our people with our award-winning apprentice program has resulted in the development of innovative, industry-leading products that are of critical importance to our customers," said Adrian Moore, CEO at Xtrac. "The whole team at Xtrac in the UK and the USA take pride in our ability to assure our customers that performance and endurance milestones achieved during testing are repeated on the track and during a product's life cycle by supplying products of the highest quality. By partnering with MiddleGround, we look forward to building on our success and benefitting from their expertise and guidance through this next stage of expansion."

Xtrac headquarters are in Thatcham, United Kingdom, with US locations in Indianapolis and Mooresville. MiddleGround Capital also owns Race Winning Brands.

For more information, visit xtrac.com and middleground.com. 

Join SEMA and PRI Political Action Committees (PACs) on Sunday, August 13, for an unforgettable day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in a private-suite gathering to witness the heart-pounding action of the NASCAR Verizon 200 at the Brickyard.

U.S. law restricts trade associations like SEMA and PRI from funding political candidates, but our voices still need to be heard. A PAC allows association members to pool resources to support the lawmakers and candidates who stand up for the racing and aftermarket industry and protect individual freedoms such as vehicle purchase choice, off-road access and the right to race.

Tickets are limited and include suite and garage access, full catering and an open bar. Interested in attending or have questions? Contact PAC Manager Alicia Steger at alicias@sema.org or 202-796-2252 for more information. 

Space is limited and requires a purchase to attend--RSVP today!

Photo of Berlin Raceway in Grand Rapids, Michigan, taken during the PRI Road Tour.

U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN) have introduced S. 2462, the Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act. The PRI-supported, bipartisan legislation would provide certainty to racing facility owners about long-term investments by amending the Federal Tax Code to make permanent the seven-year cost recovery period for investments in motorsports entertainment complexes. Currently, this tax incentive expires at the end of 2025.

"The Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act is a simple fix to our tax code that will offer speedways the freedom to make long-term investments and upgrades to their facilities," said Sen. Warner. "I'm proud to introduce legislation that will improve driver safety, enhance [the] fan experience and support jobs in our racing communities."

Companion legislation, H.R. 2696, was introduced earlier this year in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Mike Thompson (D-CA), along with seven bipartisan co-sponsors. The legislation would allow race tracks nationwide to plan long-term improvements and safety updates. In 2004, Congress codified a temporary provision that defined "motorsports entertainment complex," and a 2020 appropriations law extended the accelerated depreciation of investments through December 2025.

The Federal Tax code defines a motorsports entertainment complex to mean a race track facility that "(i) is permanently situated on land, and (ii) during the 36 months following the first day of the month in which the asset is placed in service, hosts one or more racing events for automobiles (of any type), trucks or motorcycles which are open to the public for the price of admission."

Accelerated depreciation of investments in a motorsports entertainment complex applies to capital expenditures in a facility's ticket booths, race track surfaces, suites and hospitality facilities, grandstands and viewing structures, props, walls, facilities that support the delivery of entertainment services, other special-purpose structures, facades, shop interiors and buildings in addition to support facilities (including food and beverage retailing, souvenir vending and other non-lodging accommodations), parking lots, sidewalks, bridges, fences and landscaping.

"Motorsports are engrained in Indiana's history and culture and play a major role in our state's economy. This bill will make a simple fix to our tax code to give speedways the ability to make needed improvements, invest in safety and enhance the spectator experience. I'm proud to support this bill on behalf of the Hoosier motorsports industry and race fans across Indiana," said Sen. Young.

Congress should act on this legislation to support the over 1,500 race tracks across the U.S. that have been the source of affordable, family-friendly entertainment for more than half of a century. Most motorsports facilities are small businesses that employ many hard-working Americans and provide positive economic benefits to the surrounding communities they serve. Congress should make this provision permanent to all owners to make necessary investments in their tracks and property to ensure that racing continues to be available to enthusiasts nationwide.

For more information, contact Tiffany Cipoletti at tiffanyc@sema.org.

The PRI Member Portal, located on performanceracing.com, makes it easier than ever for PRI Individual and PRI Business members to take advantage of exclusive opportunities. The custom dashboard shows PRI members the latest benefits, discounts, and deals courtesy of PRI partners--all in just a few clicks.

Here's how to access the PRI Member Portal in three easy steps:

• Visit performanceracing.com and click "Login" at the top right corner. 
• Log in to your account with your email and password. FIRST TIME LOGGING IN? Click "Forgot Your Password" to create your account. 
• Select "My Profile" in the upper right corner, and choose "My Benefits" under Account Links. 
• Claim your discounts, deals and benefits!

Questions? Contact membership@performanceracing.com. 

Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) has unveiled a new partnership in Saudi Arabia. It marks the first time the Liverpool, United Kingdom-based supercar manufacturer will have a retail presence in the country. BAC offers the world's only road-legal, single-seater supercars, the BAC Mono and BAC Mono R.

The first Mono to be delivered to Saudi Arabia--a smoked-visible-carbon Mono R--will be available to view for prospective customers in the country immediately. The first deliveries to customers are expected later this year.

The announcement follows BAC's opening of three new dealerships across the US and two new dealerships in Asia.

For more information, visit bac-mono.com.

Niterra North America Inc. [formerly NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.) Inc.] has announced Jon Palarchio has joined the company as the director of supply chain management of forecasting.

Palarchio, who will serve as a senior leadership team member, will be responsible for developing analytical tools for the successful prediction of aftermarket demand and deploying best practices for OEM raw and fab authorization requirements.

With over 17 years of experience in sales, program management and engineering, Palarchio focuses on earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) performance.

For more information, visit ngkntk.com.

Legacy Motor Club--the NASCAR Cup Series racing team formerly known as Petty GMS Motorsports, currently owned by Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson--has appointed Calvin "Cal" Wells III as CEO.

"With the addition of Cal, we have the right people in place. He has more than 40 years of experience in racing and his senior management experience will shine through immediately. We have had a season of many changes starting with Jimmie partnering with the team and the re-branding of our team, so the addition of Cal is the ‘icing on the cake’ for us right now," said team co-owner Gallagher.

Wells brings decades of experience in the motorsports industry to the Statesville, North Carolina team. He started his professional career by founding Precision Preparation, Inc. (PPI) in 1979 and soon earned a relationship with car manufacturer Toyota. Over the next 25 years, PPI dominated the off-road and open-wheel segments and won at the highest level in the NASCAR Cup Series. After PPI, Wells successfully led the corporate restructuring of Michael Waltrip Racing as chief operating officer and executive vice president until 2011. He then started LNGA Consulting to assist clients with business development.

For more information, visit the Legacy Motor Club announcement or visit legacymotorclub.com.